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Resident urges Bourbon County to restore septic soil‑test requirement; commissioners agree to revisit code
Summary
A resident told commissioners Bourbon County dropped its soil‑testing requirement for septic systems in about 1998 and urged the commission to reinstate it. Commissioners said staff will revisit the county’s septic code and meet with relevant public‑works personnel.
Kevin Schafer, a resident and retired civil engineer, urged the Bourbon County Commission during public comment to require soil tests before issuing permits for septic systems, saying the county stopped requiring soil testing around 1998 and that the current approach is “guesswork.”
“I’m a retired civil engineer. You’re gonna have to convince me how you can — it’s just guesswork right now going on. So I think that needs to be changed, in my opinion,” Schafer said during public comment.
Schafer told the commission multiple state representatives he consulted described Bourbon County’s existing minimum code as inadequate because it does not require soil testing. He said the state left a “loophole” in 1999 that allowed counties without a code to adopt a minimal standard; according to Schafer, the county’s October 1998 action produced a short minimum code that omitted soil tests.
A county representative said the issue had previously been discussed with public works and suggested meeting with the county staff member who handles septic permits (the meeting referenced “Matt Quick” by name). A commissioner said they were prepared to sit down with public‑works staff to revisit the county’s code and review the question of whether soil tests should be required.
Why it matters: Soil evaluations for septic systems are used to determine whether ground conditions will accept wastewater; restoring a testing requirement could affect building permits, repairs and public health protection in areas relying on septic systems.
What’s next: Commissioners said staff will follow up with public works and revisit the county’s septic code; Schafer offered to provide more detailed documentation on the county’s historical code changes.
